The area around Melbourne offers some wonderful and different day trips that allow you to see more of Victoria.
As a child we spent weeks, during our school holidays traveling between the country towns exploring the different regions, each one offering unique experiences. Whether that was up in Gippsland at Wilsons Promontory exploring the 90 mile beach, down on the Morning Peninsula visiting the wineries, orchards and coastal towns, or down along the Great Ocean Road visiting the wonderful small villages that shaped the history of Victoria, we had fun.
We also got to experience the Grampians, and the beautiful and tranquil Dandenong Ranges. There is nothing like taking a trip on Puffing Billy for a different experience.
Adults and families alike will have some wonderful times exploring out from Melbourne.
The Popular Day Trips From Melbourne
These day trips are more of the popular touristy ones that have become popular. For first time visitors to Australia, they might be exactly what you’re looking for.
The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road could be more than just a day trip from Melbourne, in my opinion. There are so many wonderful places and awesome scenery to see and experience that just spending a day, seems to not to the region justice.
But then, having been a local, born in Victoria, I had the luxury of more time to go slow and really enjoy the experience.
Images courtesy of VisitVictoria
A number of tour operators will pick you up in the Melbourne CBD (Central Business District), or your meet them somewhere central and they will drive you down the Great Ocean Road.
The Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s most spectacular coastal drives, stretching around 151 miles/243 kilometers along Victoria’s rugged coastline. Built by returned World War I soldiers between 1919 and 1932, it stands as the world’s largest war memorial and showcases some of Australia’s most dramatic scenery.
The Twelve Apostles
The Twelve Apostles are the road’s most famous attraction – towering limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean, though only seven or eight remain standing due to natural erosion. These formations are constantly changing as waves continue to carve new shapes from the coastline. Port Campbell National Park protects much of this coastline, including other stunning formations like Loch Ard Gorge and London Arch (formerly London Bridge until part of it collapsed in 1990).
The road passes through diverse landscapes beyond the iconic cliffs. You’ll encounter temperate rainforests in the Otway Ranges, where ancient tree ferns create cathedral-like canopies and waterfalls cascade through moss-covered rocks. The region is also home to koalas, which can often be spotted sleeping in eucalyptus trees around Kennett River.
Shipwreck Coast
Shipwreck Coast earned its ominous name from the treacherous waters that claimed over 700 vessels. The area around Port Campbell has numerous shipwreck sites, with some remains still visible at low tide. The coastline’s wild beauty comes with genuine danger – the Southern Ocean’s powerful swells and unpredictable weather have challenged sailors for centuries.
The road also passes through charming coastal towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, where you can experience excellent surfing, fresh seafood, and vibrant local culture. The region’s cool climate makes it perfect for wine production, with the Otway wine region offering tastings of exceptional cool-climate varieties.
For the best experience, the road offers constantly changing perspectives as you wind between ocean views, forest canopies, and pastoral landscapes – each turn revealing new vistas of one of the world’s most beautiful coastal drives.
Phillip Island & The Fairy Penguins
Phillip Island and The Nobbies in the Southern region of Victoria offers an unique up close encounter with the fairy penguins. These sea birds nest in the sand dunes on the Island and spend their days out at sea fishing and enjoying the waters of Bass Straight.
At night they come on shore to their burrows, where you get to watch the migration of each family. During mating season you will watch the males come back to the burrows calling out to their mates.
It’s definitely a sight not to miss.
Phillip Island is located 90 minutes’ drive from Melbourne, with an additional 20 minutes from the bridge to reach the Penguin Parade Penguin Parade » Phillip Island Nature Parks. You have several options for visiting:
Self-Drive: The most flexible option, with free parking available on-site at the Penguin Parade. This allows you to explore the island at your own pace and stay as long as you’d like.
Organized Tours: Multiple tour operators offer day trips from Melbourne, with prices ranging from approximately $105 to $175 AUD. These typically include:
- Bus transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off
- Entry to the Penguin Parade
- Often combined with other attractions like koala sanctuaries
- Close encounters with kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and visits to stunning beaches, the Nobbies, and Woolamai Beach Phillip Island Tours from $105 | Penguin Parade Day Trips from Melbourne
The Penguin Parade Experience
The Penguin Parade involves watching little penguins dash home across the sand at dusk. Boardwalks allow visitors to explore after dark and observe the penguins in their colony. The experience includes seeing the penguins greet their neighbors, partners, and chicks in their natural habitat.
Images courtesy of VisitVictoria
It’s worth noting that penguin numbers can vary seasonally – the island hosts a colony of around 5,000 penguins, but during molting season, significantly fewer penguins may be visible (sometimes as few as 450).
Additional Activities
Most day trips also include visits to other island attractions such as Churchill Island, seal-watching at the Nobbies, and wildlife parks where you can see native Australian animals up close. The island offers beautiful coastal scenery and beaches that make for great photo opportunities during the day before the evening penguin viewing.
The tours typically depart Melbourne in the afternoon and return late evening, making it a full but manageable day trip experience.
The Mornington Peninsula
Whether it’s a winery tour, spending time soaking in the mineral hot springs, or just enjoying the coast line, The Mornington Peninsula has a lot to offer. This day trip out of Melbourne provides a set of different experiences to traveling West or North.
The Mornington Peninsula, about an hour south of Melbourne, offers a distinctive blend of coastal beauty, wine culture, and natural attractions that make it perfect for day trips.
The peninsula is renowned for its stunning beaches along both Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait. The bay side features calmer waters ideal for swimming and families, while the ocean side offers dramatic surf beaches and rugged coastline views. Hot springs are a major draw – Peninsula Hot Springs provides natural thermal pools set in bushland, creating a unique Australian spa experience.
Photos courtesy of VisitVictoria
Wine enthusiasts flock here for the cool-climate vineyards producing exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay. Many cellar doors offer tastings with panoramic views over rolling hills and coastline. The region has developed a strong food scene to match, with farm-to-table restaurants, artisanal producers, and weekend farmers markets.
For nature lovers, there are coastal walks, national parks, and the chance to see native wildlife including kangaroos and diverse birdlife. The peninsula also features charming seaside towns like Sorrento and Portsea with historic architecture, boutique shopping, and waterfront dining.
The variety is what makes it special – you can soak in hot springs in the morning, taste wine over lunch, walk clifftop trails in the afternoon, and watch the sunset over the bay, all within a relatively small area that’s easily accessible from Melbourne.
The Dandenongs & Puffing Billy
Whether you are walking or hiking in the beautiful, tranquil Dandenong Ranges amongst the eucalypts, bell birds and the undergrowth, or experiencing the uniqueness of a ride on a fully operational steam train, the Dandenongs are a must see out of the different day trips from Melbourne on offer.
The Victorian Dandenong Ranges, located about 35 kilometers east of Melbourne, are unique for several distinctive features that set them apart from other Australian mountain regions.
The ranges are characterized by their temperate rainforest environment, which is quite rare in Australia. These forests contain towering mountain ash trees (Eucalyptus regnans), some of the tallest flowering plants in the world. Alongside these trees you find dense fern gullies filled with tree ferns that create an almost prehistoric atmosphere. The cool, moist climate supports a lush ecosystem that feels remarkably different from the typical Australian bush.
Puffing Billy
Puffing Billy, the historic narrow-gauge steam railway that winds through these ranges, adds another layer of uniqueness. Built in the early 1900s originally to serve local communities and transport timber, it’s now one of the world’s finest preserved steam railways. What makes Puffing Billy particularly special is that passengers can dangle their legs out of the open-sided carriages as the train chugs through the forest – a experience that’s become iconic and is difficult to find elsewhere.
Photos courtesy of VisitVictoria
The railway journey itself showcases the dramatic landscape changes as it travels from Belgrave to Gembrook. The train crosses wooden trestle bridges like the famous Monbulk Creek Bridge, and passes through small mountain towns like Emerald and Lakeside. The combination of the historic steam locomotive, the open carriages, and the journey through temperate rainforest creates an experience that’s distinctly Australian yet reminiscent of European mountain railways.
The Dandenong Ranges also house charming villages with English-style gardens, antique shops, and cafes, creating a unique blend of Australian native forest and European-influenced culture that you won’t find replicated elsewhere in the country.
When staying in Melbourne, consider experiencing at least one of these day trips to see some of what Victoria has to offer.